Rally protests racial profiling, police brutality

A crowd of people gathered in Clark Park on Saturday to rally against what they called "America's other war" -- the injustices committed against the country's black community.

Racial profiling, police brutality, lower pay scales and exploitation of black prison workers were just some of the group's overall list of injustices.

International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement Chairman Omali Yeshitela also cited Penn as an example of white gentrification and encroachment on the black community.

The rally followed a five-kilometer "March for Social Justice," which took place simultaneously in Oakland, Calif., and St. Petersburg, Fla., as well as West Philadelphia.

The event in Clark Park, which is located at 43rd Street and Chester Avenue, was organized by the African People's Solidarity Committee, a group of white community members who say they support the plight of their black peers.

That group is under the larger umbrella of the Uhuru Movement. Uhuru is the Swahili word for "freedom," but the group is also known as the African People's Socialist Party.

Amid intermittent supporting shouts of "uhuru!" from the crowd of about 50 people, Yeshitela gave the rally's keynote address.

A black man himself, he addressed the white audience members, warning them of the impending black revolution and encouraging them to join in the battle for black justice.

"You are the hated," Yeshitela said, referring to the majority of the audience.

Yeshitela described the difference between the American white and black populations.

History talks "about a nation of immigrants," Yeshitela said. Black people "are not immigrants -- [they] are captives. And sooner or later, they're gonna wake up and realize they're captives."

Yeshitela also referred to injustices against the indigenous Native American population and the Mexican population, which he claims is in the process of redefining the false border between the United States and Mexico.

"The people are coming back for their wealth," Yeshitela said. "I'm coming back."

In addition to Yeshitela, the fathers of two young men shot and killed by Philadelphia police spoke at the rally.

Rennison Payne told a story of how his son Haile was shot 14 times while handcuffed by Philadelphia police on June 10.

Payne thanked the audience for its solidarity on behalf of his son.

"I'd like everybody here to give a big hand for the white people who came here to talk against the system," Payne said.

Penny Hess, the chairwoman of the APSC, brought a white perspective to the stage.

"For our children to go to college, it means the children in Africa are in garbage dumps foraging for something to eat," Hess said. "We don't want a life at the expense of everyone else."

Notably, Yeshitela and Hess argued that President George W. Bush and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry are equally bad leaders and discouraged their audience from voting in the upcoming presidential election.

They cited Kerry and Bush's similar policies on Iraq and Israel as reasons not to vote.

The event was a fundraiser for the movement. Organizers asked crowd members to donate $100 at the conclusion of the speeches.

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